Facts about St. Patrick's Day

  It's St. Patrick's Day!

Named for the patron saint of Ireland, March 17th is the day St. Patrick is believed to have died around 493 A.D.

Since then, the Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday. But Americans have added their own secular touch to the annual celebration with parades and a lot of fan fare.

Here are some "fun facts" about St. Patrick's Day:

-- The Harp is the official emblem of Ireland, NOT the shamrock.

-- More than 40 percent of U.S. Presidents had Irish ancestors.

-- 70 million people worldwide can claim Irish ancestry.

-- Several million shamrock plants are grown each year in County Cork, Ireland.

-- The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America took place in 1737 in Boston. The second took place in Philadelphia in 1780.

-- It has been said that there are more Americans of Irish decent living in the U.S. than Irishmen living in Ireland. Americans celebrate the day with such wild abandon that instead of participating in events at home, many people in Ireland turn on the tube and watch our parades!

-- Why is the Irish flag green, white and orange? There is some debate as to the meaning of the colors, but it is generally understood that the green stands for the Catholics, the orange for the Protestants and white for peace between them.